


A missed opportunity

by Lucy410



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 04:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2494532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucy410/pseuds/Lucy410
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trip and Archer come to blows over Malcolm</p>
            </blockquote>





	A missed opportunity

They had been drinking for three hours now, the water polo game had long since finished but Trip wasn’t ready to go back to his own quarters just yet. He drank the last of the whisky in his glass and held it out, mutely asking for a refill. Archer complied, refilled his own glass and both men settled back into the easy stillness that was only possible between two such long-term friends.

“Trip..”

“Cap’n..”

The men spoke in unison and laughed at each other.

“You first,” Archer inclined his head towards Trip, sensing the seriousness behind Trip’s cheerful demeanour.

“You’re the cap’n, Cap’n.” If anything Trip’s accent was thicker than usual, some of that was alcohol but Archer, having known him for so many years could tell that what Trip might have to say was clearly troubling him.

“You first Trip,” Archer shot straight back, falling with ease into what he thought of as his captain’s voice. “That’s an order Commander.”

“Well if you put it like that.” Trip smiled but his blue eyes betrayed how nervous he was. “This is personal Jon. I wouldn’t even be telling you ‘cept you’re my best friend and all.”

“I wouldn’t say a word to anyone Trip, you know that.” As captain, Jonathan Archer had to be the soul of discretion, somehow it made for a much easier working environment if the people around you knew they could trust you with their problems.

“Yeah I know.” Trip took a great slurp of his drink and discovering that he was sitting right on the edge of his seat moved backwards, trying to relax. Watching him Archer could feel his own tensions creeping to the surface and suddenly felt that if Trip were to share a confidence with him then perhaps he could return the favour.

“Well ya know how I hate to prevaricate,” the younger man grinned, amused by his own words but he couldn’t bring himself to meet Archer’s eyes. “I’ve met someone.”

“On board Enterprise?” Archer commented, asking the obvious while his mind whirled trying to work out who it could be.

Trip nodded. “I haven’t told them that I like ‘em,” he admitted, glancing up at Archer’s face to see how that comment had been received. “Thought maybe you could give me some advice.”

“Me?” Archer raised an eyebrow. “Normally you’re the one giving me advice.”

“Well should I tell ‘em?” Trip was nervously rubbing his hands on his thighs. “Ship romances can be difficult, especially if things go wrong.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic.” Archer chided gently and sympathetically. “Is it one of your staff? I could have her reassigned if it would help.”

“Naw,” Trip shook his head slowly and now his smile was full of pure mischief. “I don’t think the guy would appreciate that.”

Slowly Trip’s words trickled down into Archer’s brain. “Guy?”

There was no suppressing the sudden burst of happiness as Trip nodded. “Yep. Bet you never thought to see the day when Trip Tucker would fall for a man.”

Slowly Archer placed his now empty glass on the floor, his mind at a loss. “Who is he?”

But Trip shook his head and instead of answering looked Archer straight in the eyes. “Nope. Now it’s your turn.”

Archer closed his eyes, struggling to control the conflicting emotions inside him.

“C’mon Jon, fair’s fair. I told you mine.”

“I wanted to ask you the same thing,” his voice was so quiet that Archer thought maybe Trip hadn’t heard him but the sudden face-splitting grin told him otherwise.

“You too huh. Well how about we make a pact? I’ll tell mine if you tell yours. Deal?”

“Deal.” Archer reached out for Trip’s hand to seal the bargain.

“So who is it?” For the second time that night the two men spoke in unison.

“Okay,” Trip said laughing, “I’ll count to three and then we’ll both say it. Agreed? Alright. One.. two.. three..”

“Malcolm.”

The two men looked at each other, shocked into silence. Trip was the first to recover. “So what? Shall we tell him?” The tone of his voice was inconsequential but there was passion in his eyes.

Archer shook his head, realising that he’d probably had to much to drink he nevertheless reached for the whisky bottle. “That’s not a good idea.” Archer contemplated Malcolm for a moment, the upright young English tactical officer would run a mile from such a tangled situation.

“Then what?” Trip staggered to his feet, funny how you never realised how much you’d drunk until you tried to stand up. “I s’pose you think that cos you’re cap’n I should stand aside.”

“That’s a solution.” Archer responded calmly.

“Funny you should say that.” Trip snarled, anger fuelled by alcohol, his extreme irritation in no way soothed by the relaxed posture of his friend.

“Well what do you propose? That we have a fight?” Archer had meant it for sarcasm but the chief engineer jumped on his words avidly.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn’t long before the two men were squaring up to each other in the ship’s gym.

“To the winner the spoils,” Trip announced expansively as he circled Archer warily.

Archer nodded grimly, “And the loser doesn’t tell Malcolm how they feel.” Feeling as he said it a twinge of pain at the thought of what he might be about to lose.

“It’s a deal.”

It was Trip who made first contact, lighter on his feet than Archer even with alcohol-induced clumsiness he still managed to land a glancing blow. Older and heavier Archer nevertheless soon returned the favour and their fight began in earnest.

“And what do you think you’re doing?” The unmistakeable tones of Lieutenant Malcolm Reed brought both men to a standstill and they staggered away from each other.

“When Ensign Barry told me that there was someone in the gym fighting I never thought it would be you two.” Malcolm paused to draw himself up a little. “What sort of example are you setting for the rest of the crew? Brawling in such an undignified manner. You’re the captain and the chief engineer for god’s sake.”

“We’re not brawling,” Trip muttered mutinously.

“Oh no? What would you call it?” Malcolm’s eyes glittered with rage. “As tactical officer I’m responsible for the safety of this ship and her crew. I should have you both confined to quarters for such a shameful lack of control.”

“It was my fault Malcolm,” Archer stepped towards the man and momentarily Malcolm’s eyes softened.

“Captain,” Malcolm reached forward and wiped the blood off Archer’s chin with his sleeve. “You should get Doctor Phlox to take a look at your nose,” Malcolm told Trip, “before it swells up like a balloon and you float away. Now go.”

Both men turned and left chastened while Malcolm, with an inscrutable expression on his face, watched them leave.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next morning Archer, groaning from his hangover and bruises, was struggling to study the latest survey data from a nearby star system when the door chime sounded.

“Come in.”

It was Malcolm who came and stood at attention in front of Archer’s desk.

“I wanted to apologise sir for the things I said last night. I was out of order.”

“No. You were right. Trip and I shouldn’t have been fighting.”

Malcolm took a deep breath, his heart in his mouth. “Permission to leave sir.”

“Granted,” Archer said, watching in despair as Malcolm turned to leave.

“Sir,” Malcolm halted by the open door and turned back to Archer.

“Yes Malcolm.”

“I know why you were fighting sir,” he stammered, wishing his heart wouldn’t beat so loudly. “I just want you to know that you should have said something. I might have surprised you.”


End file.
